THE RASPBERRY. 31 



In conclusion, I would say, plant good hardy varieties not farther 

 than two and one-half feet in rows. Cultivate carefully, and pinch 

 back the young canes as soon as they are high enough. Don't wait 

 until they are all up, but go through them at least three times, usually 

 five to eight days after last pinching, until all are pinched back. 

 Keep thoroughly clean by plowing and hoeing from early spring until 

 last of August, and always cut out the old or bearing canes as soon as 

 the last berries have been picked, and you will find raspberry culture 

 both pleasant and profitable. 



DISCUSSION. 



W. R. Harris — I have found the raspberry the only fruit that has 

 never gone back on me. Since I have been growing fruit the rasp- 

 berry has always given me a crop that paid for the time and labor 

 spent on it. I would like to ask Mr. Hesser whether he has ever 

 been troubled with scab on any of his plants? 



Mr, Hesser — On. the foliage? 



Mr. Harris — On the plants themselves. 



Mr. Hesser — I have never noticed anything of that kind. Some 

 seasons I have a little rust on the foliao;e. 



Mr. Harris — With me the Tyler, especially, has a kind of scab 

 on the wood that has killed it out. 



Mr. Hesser — My wood is not quite so strong as it used to be, but 

 I attribute that to the fact that my orchard trees are getting so large 

 that they cover the ground; they have been planted twenty-three 

 years. 



Mr, Harris — Perhaps the fact that you cut out the old wood just 

 as soon as the fruit crop is off would make some difference. I have 

 never done that. 



Mr. Hesser — That makes a very great difference. Those old 

 bearing canes will keep alive nearly all summer, and though they are 

 all dead and gone before spring, yet they will take a certain amount 

 of moisture from the ground that should go to the young plants, be- 

 sides shading them and obstructing the ground. The day the pickers 

 go through the last time I send a gang of men right after them to cut 

 out the old wood and carry it out with forks. 



Mr. Jenkins — I would like to have it appear in the record what 

 the expression "pinching back" means. 



